Reach: The Covenant Side
by unrealmaster123
Summary: We all know what happened to Noble team on planet Reach, but what happened to the arbiter? Arbiter and Noble Six. I might add Master Chief.
1. Prologue: Battle of Sigma Octanus IV

**Author's Notes: This is my first story. No flame reviews please. Flame reviews don't help anyone. Tell me what I need to improve on and what I do well. Thanks**

**Thoughts will be in ****_italics._**

**Disclaimer: I ****do not**** own Halo. **

Prologue: Sigma Octanus IV

Supreme Commander Thel 'Vadamee looked sharply around the bridge. It looked quite clean. Two Major Domo Sangheili stood at the door, guarding it. Two Sangheili Rangers and one Major Domo Sangheili were at bridge controls.

_"The Unggoy must have cleaned the bridge",_ he thought. This was a difficult time for him and his crew. They were losing the battle, and 'Vadamee knew if he failed, the prophets would be most displeased. He and his crew knew that all humans needed to be dead for them to start the Great Journey.

It was quite busy aboard the _Seeker of Truth_. Many of his crew were working hard to restore the damaged vessel systems. The ship had taken considerable damage from MAC guns the previous day. Two Unggoy minors were in some compartment, trying to fix an on-board computer. 'Vadamee walked over to the two Unggoy. The compartment had taken severe damage. Wires and knobs were broken or severed. He walked back to the front of the vessel and looked at the Major Domo Sangheili.

"What is the status of the fleet?" 'Vadamee asked.

The Major Domo Sangheili turned around, startled. It was clear he had been daydreaming.

"One carrier, and one Corvette were lost, Excellency", he replied, nervous.

He knew that the Supreme Commander would be displeased, however it wasn't his fault. He knew that war had a cost, and if he was to exterminate all humans, some ships would be lost.

"Do not be afraid Major, the humans will pay for what they have done. They may have one this battle, but we, the worthy, will win this war.", 'Vadamee replied. 'Vadamee was confident that this would cheer up his crew. After all, a crew that was down and depressed would not do well in a battle.

The bridge became quiet again; the species of the Covenant were busy at work. Minutes went by without word; the bridge was completely silent, well except for the computers and other machines making humming and hissing noises. 'Vadamee started to think about his family, his friends on Sanghelios. Finally, an Unggoy Minor broke the silence.

"Your Excellency, the repair work on the computer is complete."

"Good work, both of you. You may now go back to your quarters and rest", Vadamee replied, pointing to the door. He looked out the window. The human planet reminded him of home. It looked quite similar. He didn't like killing humans; in fact he got in trouble for questioning why they needed to do so.

"Where are their ships?" 'Vadamee asked. Within a few seconds, a Major Domo Sangheili pulled up a map of where the UNSC fleet was located. The map showed many human frigates, cruisers, and destroyers. There were many, but not _too many._

"They are on the other side of the planet", the Major responded. He turned around and looked at 'Vadamee with a concerned look on his face.

'Vadamee clicked his mandibles together for a few moments. He walked around the bridge again.

"Take the fleet there. We will fight until we cannot any longer", 'Vadamee commanded the Major.

'Vadamee gave the order to all ships to follow. Within minutes they were moving to the other side of Sigma Octanus IV. A large amount of human frigates, along with Longswords had come into view.

"All ships fire at will", 'Vadamee ordered. The ship started to fire at multiple human frigates and cruisers.

Within mere seconds MAC guns and plasma torpedoes alike were firing, making the usually silent space much louder. Seraph's and Longsword's engaged each other, and the feeling of death was in the air. The battle raged on for hours, and into the next day. Many ships on both sides were destroyed, however as the hours ticked by, it was looking like the outcome would not be in their favour.

"Supreme Commander, we just lost a destroyer. We are now vastly outnumbered and outgunned", the Major Domo Sangheili exclaimed. The Sangheili looked quite worried and even a little scared. Yet, they all continued to work, monitoring the status of the ship, and more importantly, the fleet.

Before 'Vadamee could respond, the ship was hit hard by a MAC round.

"Supreme Commander, our forces on the planet are sending a distress signal. They are being heavily attacked by human forces. They say they won't last much longer", a Sangheili Ranger stated.

The distress signal suddenly ceased as a huge explosion rocked the planet. It was very bright and appeared to be a very powerful weapon.

_"The humans would use nuclear warheads on their own planet?" _He thought to himself.

"My brothers, it is time to retreat. The human forces on this planet require a larger fleet to destroy them", 'Vadamee ordered.

The Major Domo Sangheili quickly ordered all ships to retreat. Two large explosions were heard in the distance. Debris from the explosion started to float around space.

"Supreme Commander, we lost two more destroyers", the Ranger said.

One by one the fleet started to retreat back to High Charity. The outcome was not good. Out of the fleet of 24 ships, 'Vadamee counted only five plus his own. He was not pleased. As a Supreme Commander, he had to look after his troops and his ships. Losing 75% of his fleet felt bad.

"How many ships did we lose?" 'Vadamee asked the Sangheili Ranger. He looked at The Ranger. He was bleeding on the head. It appeared that he had been hit with something.

"Supreme Commander, we lost 18 ships including eight destroyers, seven frigates, one corvette and two carriers. Your Excellency, I would like to visit the medical centre for treatment as I cannot function effectively", the Ranger replied.

"Go my brother, but be back as soon as you can", 'Vadamee replied. He knew that a crewman that was injured was no good.

"You, minor, take his place", he pointed to the seat the Ranger was previously sitting in. The Sangheili Minor quickly sat down.

"Supreme Commander, we are being hailed by one of the destroyers", the Major Domo said, looking at 'Vadamee.

"Put it on screen", Vadamee commanded.

The Major Domo Sangheili acknowledged and put the message on the screen.

"Supreme Commander, we have attached a tracker to one of the human ships. It will track where it goes", he said quite coldly.

"Great work, we shall repair our vessels and form a larger fleet at High Charity", 'Vadamee replied. The message ceased and once again the bridge was quiet except for computers and machines.

* * *

Spartan B312 walked through an iron door. Office of Naval Intelligence logos were everywhere, and on everything. He started to get tired of the place. Two guards were standing at the door in front of him.

"Do you have your ID sir?" One of the guards asked him. The guard was a tall bald man with facial hair.

Spartan B312 was getting tired of guards asking him for ID. He looked in his right pocket; it wasn't there. He looked in his left pocket; just a map of the base. It wasn't in his shirt pocket either as it was empty. He sighed.

"It's me, Spartan B312", the Spartan said to the guard. He hoped the guard would let him past with incident.

"Sorry Sir, I need to see your identification, no exceptions." The guard paused for a moment.

"It's orders sir. I can't let anyone pass without an ID", the guard finished his speech then glared at the Spartan.

Spartan B312 searched his pockets for his ID. He finally found it in his back pocket.

_"What it doing in there?" _He sighed as he pulled out his ID. He quickly gave it to the guard, who then scanned on some machine.

"Welcome to The Office of Naval Intelligence Spartan B312", the machine said in some computerized voice. The guard shrugged his shoulders, and urgently gave the ID back to the Spartan.

"Sorry for wasting your time sir", the other guard said quietly.

The Spartan walked through the door into a long hallway. Three doors on the right and four doors on the left were dimly lit by a flickering light in the centre of the room. It had appeared that the room hasn't been used for quite some time as there was a noticeable amount of dust covering the surfaces. This time, no guards were at any of the seven doors.

_"This must be the rougher part of the facility"_, the Spartan thought to himself. He pulled out the map of the base out of his left pocket.

"Ok, if I go through this door and upstairs, I will arrive at her office", he said to himself. When he was alone, he liked to talk to himself. He felt that things could be done easier and better if he took things one step at a time. The Spartan looked at his watch: 14:41.

_"Great, I'm going to be late," _the Spartan thought sarcastically.

Dr. Halsey hated when Spartans were late. Apparently, she thought that if a Spartan was late coming to see her, he or she would be late in battle. That's what the troopers said anyway. The Spartan knew that he was one of the best, and Halsey could count on him.

He ran up the stairs, being careful not to trip and hurt himself. Humanity needed as many soldiers as they could get, and it would be very disappointing if he was in hospital because of his own actions.

He showed his ID to the pair of guards at the door. This time they were armed with DMR's. One of the guards gave him the "go ahead", and he walked into Halsey's office.

The office was messy with ONI material. The large room was unusually dull. There was a cup of cold coffee in the corner. A large cobweb was behind a desk.

"You're late Spartan", Halsey exclaimed. She was a little annoyed, but kept a neutral face.

"Sorry Ma'am, couldn't find my ID at one of the checkpoints", the Spartan said, looking at her. He hoped she understood. Even though Dr. Halsey was a civilian, she still had considerable power in the UNSC. Halsey had seriously aged since he had last seen her. There were wrinkles all over her face, and her hair was greying.

"It happens to the best of us Spartan, but take a seat. We have much to discuss", she said slightly smiling, happy that they could finally get started.

The Spartan sat down on a leather chair. Halsey took a seat next to him. She drank the cold coffee, while reading the Spartan's file.

"Spartan B312, I have to tell you, this is quite impressive. You took down whole groups of insurrectionists?"

"Yes Ma'am", the Spartan replied. He thought she knew more about him, but apparently not. He stretched his legs out, after all, it was a long walk here and he started to get very bored.

"Great, that is good. Well the real reason you are here is because you are being redeployed."

_"To where I wonder... Earth?_" The Spartan thought to himself.

"You will be redeployed to NOBLE team. You will replace Thom-293 as NOBLE Six. You will meet your team on July 24. Until then, you will remain at Sword Base. That is all", Halsey said, looking at the new NOBLE Six.

NOBLE Six was relieved. At least he would fight alongside other Spartans. He hated fighting alone. Troopers died easily, and Six found himself to be the only UNSC soldier on the battlefield in no time. ODST's were a little better, but they died too.

"Thank – you ma'am", Six said back to her.

"Good luck Spartan", Halsey replied as Six left the room.

Six walked downstairs and past another hallway to his room. The room was quite large. It looked quite similar to a nice looking 21st century hotel room, only more futuristic. There was a large bed in the corner, next to a pedestal. A bathroom was on the other side of the room. Next to the bathroom, there was a closet holding all his armour.

A UNSC "Dumb AI" suddenly appeared at the pedestal. The AI was in the form of a small male child with long hair. He was tall and wore shorts and a long shirt.

"Hello Spartan, would you request anything?" The AI asked him.

"No thanks, I will probably just be resting for now", he replied, "but I may need something a little later".

"That's alright. If you need me, just call me at any time", the AI said, finishing the conversation between the two.

NOBLE six fell into his bed. It had been a long day. He was nervous that Halsey would say something worse than she had really said. He slowly began to fall asleep, knowing that the next few days would be quite busy as well.

* * *

**Author's Notes: Well... What did you guys think? Does it need serious work, or is it the best story you have ever read? I hope it is somewhere in the middle...**

**If they're any errors, please let me know.**

**If you guys like this I will continue the story.**

**Once again, don't forget to review!**

Word Count: 2,247

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	2. Chapter 1: Arrival

**Author's Notes: Thank you to my first three reviewers! Even at this stage, this is quite a big accomplishment for me!**

**If you guys haven't noticed already, I will be writing this in Canadian English. However, if I make any grammar or spelling errors, please tell me.**

**Thoughts will be in ****_italics._**

**Disclaimer: My ownership of Halo is ****0%!**** All ownership belongs to Bungie, 343 Industries and Microsoft. Now, enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 1: Arrival

Thel 'Vadamee's fleet was simply battered from the battle. Many ships showed signs of significant damage. A destroyer and a corvette had plasma escaping into outer space, and two carriers had power failure in parts of their ships. In fact, even his ship, _Seeker of Truth_, had lost all of its weapon systems.

"Minor, hail all ships within our fleet", 'Vadamee commanded. This was not the time for fun and games.

"Yes, Excellency", the Minor responded as he pressed a large purple button that would hail all of 'Vadamee's ships. A notice appeared on screen showing that they are now hailing. Then, thumbnails of all shipmasters quickly went on screen.

"My brothers, we have lost a great deal of life. Our ships have been battered, beaten, and destroyed. The humans will pay for what they have done to our fleet!" 'Vadamee exclaimed proudly. He cracked a slight smile between his mandibles. A loud battle cry soon responded from all over his fleet. Even though he was proud of his great speech, he knew that the Prophets would be very disappointed with his failure.

Soon, High Charity came into view. Its elegant mushroom shape always captivated many. A whole fleet guarded the city from invaders such as Humans and Flood. Seraphs and Space Banshees were on constant patrol. Security was high at this time. 'Vadamee wondered how the Humans had simply not discovered it yet.

"Supreme Commander, we are being hailed by _Supreme Journey_", the Sangheili Minor cried. "They want to know where we are we going", the Sangheili Minor said again, now looking at the Supreme Commander.

"Tell them we are headed to the main shipyard at Assembly Forges*", 'Vadamee commanded the Minor. We need to get there as soon as we can. The Minor soon obeyed, leaving the Minor satisfied.

"Ok, what is your Supreme Commander's name, Minor?" The Sangheili was clearly a Ship Master, anyone would know just by looking at the armour.

"My Supreme Commander's name is Thel 'Vadamee, he requests that we get there very soon as our fleet has been battered by human forces", the Minor finished. The Ship Master quickly checked something on a computer of some type.

"Supreme Commander Thel 'Vadamee, you are wanted at the council chamber immediately, however, you may take your ships to Assembly Forges", the Ship Master said, with a very surprised look on his face.

_"How did a Supreme Commander lose 75% of his fleet?"_ It puzzled the Ship Master. That type of failure was not tolerated by the Prophet's.

"Thank you, Excellency, and have a good day", the Minor said, slightly dipping his head. Soon, the transmission ceased and the bridge was once again silent from conversation.

"Prepare my Phantom", commanded the Supreme Commander. 'Vadamee waited patiently for his soldiers to get his Phantom ready. He was so nervous. The Prophets could kill him for such failure. He wondered if he would ever see home again. He sighed. Everything seemed to take forever. After what seemed like units, a message was received.

"Supreme Commander, your Phantom is ready. Please let me know when you will be here", a pilot said, obviously eager to get started.

"My brother, be patient. I will be there very soon", 'Vadamee responded. He looked around the bridge one more time for anyone with a high rank. There was a Major Domo Sangheili, Two Sangheili Minor, and a Special Operations Officer. Two Unggoy had come in to clean the damaged bridge.

"Officer, you are in charge until I return", 'Vadamee commanded the Officer. He hoped he picked the best choice possible.

"Yes, Excellency, I will not fail", the Officer replied. He bowed his head in respect.

Thel 'Vadamee walked down the damaged hallways and ravaged staircases. Wires and metal were all over the place. Technicians were slowly fixing the problem, but they seriously needed much more help. He finally arrived at the shuttle bay. The shuttle bay was too, damaged. Many Spirit drop ships were deemed unsafe for use.

"Over here, Excellency", the pilot waved. Slowly, 'Vadamee started to approach. Soon, 'Vadamee was within a few units of him.

"Supreme Commander, we may leave when you're ready", the pilot said, nervous. He noticed that 'Vadamee looked worried and somewhat anxious.

"We will leave now, and head to the Council", 'Vadamee commanded. He looked at the pilot. He was quite young.

The two started to board the Phantom. The Phantom was decorated with fancy furniture as it was only being used for Ship Masters and Supreme Commanders only. The Phantom slowly started up, and headed deep into the city, towards the Council Chamber. As he got closer, Banshees, Phantoms, and Spirit Drop ships littered the skies. It didn't take long to approach the building; it had a very recognizable shape.

"We are here, Excellency", the pilot said, looking at the Supreme Commander.

"My brother, thank you", 'Vadamee replied. The pilot lowered the door leading to the gravity lift.

'Vadamee slowly started to exit the Phantom. As he slowly descended down the gravity lift, he started to feel the familiar air of High Charity. The Council Chamber was nearly empty. There were only a few Kig-yar and a Sangheili Minor in the seats. As he slowly walked into the Chamber, he started to see three figures waiting for him.

"This is unacceptable, absolutely unacceptable. Your failure has cost the lives of many Sangheili. I could have you executed for such failure", Regret said. Regret was quite angry. He glared at 'Vadamee.

"We will give you one more chance. If you fail again, your Journey is forfeit!" Truth Exclaimed. He slowly turned towards Mercy who approached from behind him. A pedestal activated showing the _UNSC Iroquois_.

"A Jiralhanae team has attached a tracking device on a human destroyer. The destroyer has entered a planet which we believe could be the human home world. You will repair your fleet at _Unyielding Hierophant_", Mercy said sternly.

"Then, you will lead a small recon team to the planet and stealthy take out a communications outpost. You will then stealthy lead troops on the planet. Once you have completed this, you will contact High Charity to bring in a larger fleet", Truth ordered.

"I have already called a Phantom to take you to _Seeker of Truth. _You will leave immediately. Do NOT fail again!" Regret exclaimed as 'Vadamee started to head to the door. 'Vadamee felt more determined than ever. He could not fail this mission. He walked through the purple and blue hallways of High Charity. Many fellow Sangheili as well as the other races of the Covenant stopped their conversations and stared at 'Vadamee.

"_Great, they all know about my failure_", he thought. He continued to walk down the hallway. It seemed to take forever. He finally reached the door that lead to a landing pad. A phantom was a few units above it. He walked toward the gravity lift and into the Phantom.

"Take us to _Seeker of Truth_, pilot", 'Vadamee commanded. The pilot nodded and immediately the Phantom started to move.

* * *

Sangheili Officer Hyur 'Kluee was very nervous. 'Vadamee wasn't back yet, and they were very close to Assembly Forges.

"_Where is he_?" He thought to himself. Just then, the sight of the massive facility came into view. It had giant warehouses and parking lots. As they got closer, they discovered that the parking lots were full of parked Wraiths, Scarabs, and Spectres.

"Special Operations Officer, 'Vadamee's Phantom has just landed in shuttle bay number seven. He will be here very shortly", the Sangheili Minor said. The Minor looked tired; it appeared he hadn't got much sleep since the previous battle. Moments later, the injured Sangheili Ranger and 'Vadamee walked into the bridge.

"Minor, go and take a rest. You will need it for the next battle.

"Ranger, take the Minor's place", 'Vadamee commanded the Ranger.

"You, Major, take the Major Domo Sangheili's place. Major Domo, take a rest", commanded 'Vadamee. The Sangheili Major quickly obeyed and took a seat where the Major Domo Sangheili was previously sitting.

"Take the fleet to _Unyielding Hierophant_. We will repair our ships there. In two cycles, we will start our next mission. That mission is a very important one. We are to send a small fleet to planet Reach and take out a communications outpost there", 'Vadamee ordered. He was pleased that he was back on _Seeker of Truth_. The Sangheili Major quickly acknowledged and soon the fleet was off to the massive battle station. After a unit, the station came into view.

"Supreme Commander, the Ship Master of Unyielding Hierophant requests that you dock at station 232 immedia...", the Sangheili Ranger cried. His sentence was cut short however by an eager 'Vadamee.

"Then take the fleet there Ranger! 'Vadamee exclaimed. The fleet was badly damaged. It needed fixing right away. The Ranger obeyed and soon the first ships entered the station. Over the next few cycles, the ships were fully repaired.

"_It is really quite amazing how fast they repair our vessels_", 'Vadamee thought. Even though three Corvette ships were almost fixed, _Seeker of Truth_, another Corvette, and the Destroyer were not even started yet. He decided to take a nap. He would need it if he were going out to battle. Just as started to close his eyes, a pedestal with Truth's hologram appeared.

"'Vadamee, there has been a change of plan. You will remain at _Unyielding Hierophant_. I have asked Ship Master Rho 'Barutamee to take _Long Night of Solace_ as well as your three repaired Corvettes to Reach. He will also take two Corvettes from his fleet. You will follow with a much larger fleet once your ships are repaired", Truth ordered him.

"Yes noble hierarch", 'Vadamee responded as the pedestal once again went dark. He soon returned to his room and had his nap. **

* * *

Commander Rho 'Barutamee sat at his comfortable chair aboard _Long Night of Solace_. The bridge of the vessel was quite grand. Large windows lined the sides of the massive ship. A large pedestal stood in the centre of the room. The pedestal showed a large planet. A large arrow pointed to a location on the planet.

"Is this their planet?" He asked an Unggoy Major.

"Yes, Excellency, this is it", the Major responded. The Unggoy wore the standard red coloured armour of an Unggoy Major.

"Take the fleet there, now", 'Barutamee commanded. Soon the whole fleet was on route to Reach. To avoid being detected, they didn't use slip space. At this speed however, it would take one cycle to get there.

One cycle later

The previous cycle had gone quite uneventful. However, the fleet had still not arrived at Reach yet. 'Barutamee had grown quite impatient.

"How long?" He asked an Unggoy Major.

"Very soon, Excellency", the Major responded.

"Ship Master, I think we have the planet. I think we should send Spirits from here to land at the target. The Phantoms are already ready to go. They just need your order", a Sangheili Major pointed out.

"Do it", 'Barutamee said quite simply. Just moments later, the cloaked Spirit drop ships began to leave _Long Night of Solace._ It wouldn't be long before the target was disabled.

* * *

Multiple cloaked Spirits entered Reach's orbit. A few moments later, the target came into view. It was a large satellite on top of a facility. The facility was on a large hill. The hill was full of green grass.

"We take down the communications first, then we deal with whoever gets in our way", the Spirit pilot said. Moments later, the Spirits were on the ground deploying troops.

"All forces, engage camouflage. Take down the communications _silently_. No one will open fire until I give the order", 'Barutamee ordered. The Sangheili forces left first. The Sangheili were all Zealot class; quite experienced. The other races of the Covenant would have to go later.

"This place reminds me of home", one of the Zealots whispered.

"Quiet, we need to do this stealthy!" Another exclaimed.

Soon they were all at the main gate. Under the cover of darkness, the team snuck past patrols. After sneaking through many hallways, they finally reached the control room. Without any of them knowing, an elderly man walked right into a cloaked Zealot.

"What the", the man said. The man barely had time to think however; the Zealot quick took him down.

"Ship Master, we are at the control room. May we engage the systems?" A Zealot asked.

"Shoot it, then take all the humans down in the area", 'Barutamee commanded. Within the blink of an eye, the team opened fire on the computer systems with plasma rifles. One by one, the systems shut down. Moments later, COM's and the power was out at the station.

"Ship Master, the connection is dead. The humans cannot call for help. We will proceed to eliminate any forces in the area", A Zealot cried.

"Excellent", 'Barutamee responded.

Within half a unit the few UNSC troopers and civilians were eliminated. However, one unit later, what appeared to be a human team left from a drop ship.

"Ship Master, there are human soldiers equipped with heavier weapons. We will take them out. We will attempt to capture any soldiers for interrogation", a Sangheili Minor said. With superior weapons and skills, the team and one Warthog were quickly eliminated, well except for two soldiers.

"You, interrogate them. Find out what they know", Nhy 'Kiuee said to the Minor.

After a quarter unit, the Minor came back with bad news.

"They won't tell me anything. Shall I exterminate them?" The Minor asked 'Kiuee.

"Yes, you need the practice", 'Kiuee responded. 'Kiuee turned towards him and knew that this would be a very long night. His team was scattered. Just then, a Phantom came in cloaked and dropped Kig-yar, Unggoy and additional Sangheili.

"Kig-yar, Unggoy, guard this area for humans. We will rest until tomorrow", 'Kiuee said.

"My brothers, we are victorious in this battle. Let us have a rest so we are ready for the destruction of this planet!" He boomed out. 'Kiuee clicked his mandibles, and quickly found a place to sleep.

* * *

NOBLE Six awoke from his slumber. It appeared that he had been sleeping for quite some time. He looked to the right of his bed; it was early morning.

"AI, how long have I been sleeping?" He asked the AI.

"NOBLE Six, you have been sleeping for 10 hours, 53 minutes and 34 seconds", the AI responded. The figure of the AI was again at the pedestal.

"Well, that's great", Six stated. He looked at his watch: 07/24/2552 6:34:23. Immediately after, the AI turned on all the lights in the room, then disappeared off the pedestal. Six looked around his large room. His armour was still sitting in the closet it had previously sat in. The AI appeared again at the pedestal.

"NOBLE Six, Colonel Holland has ordered you to leave Sword Base immediately and report to a remote UNSC outpost in the mountains. That is where you will meet the rest of your team. You will take a Warthog there. Get your armour on, and then meet Colonel Holland at gate 3b at 700 hours", the AI said.

"Ok, tell him I will meet him there", NOBLE Six responded. He was happy he could finally get going and meet his new team. After getting ready and finally managing to put his armour on, he left his room and started to head to gate 3b.

"Where is it?" He asked himself. He approached a door with a guard.

"Your ID sir", the guard ordered Six.

"Do you know where gate 3b is?" He asked the guard as he was giving him the ID.

"Sir, it is about 25 metres down this hallway than about 10 metres to your right. Don't worry, there is a sign just down there", he said as he pointed down the hallway. The guard gave back Six's ID.

"Thanks", Six replied as he jogged down the hallway. The hallway was covered with pedestals and holograms depicting man's past. Pictures of mans walk on the moon, the first space voyage, and the invention of the Slip Space engine lined the hallway. He took a few seconds to look at the history. Eventually, he reached the end of the hallway and came across a large sign.

- Gate 3

Gate 3b -

Six turned towards gate 3b. White panels covered the walls. Monitors and surveillance cameras lined the ceiling. He started to run down the hall. He knew it was against Office of Naval Intelligence rules, but he didn't care. If he didn't run, he would late; again. Six opened a large steel door and saw daylight for the first time in a few days. In front of him sat two unoccupied Falcons, a Warthog, two UNSC pilots, one UNSC trooper and Colonel Holland. The landing pad was quite large. It seemed large enough to hold at least two Pelicans and a Scorpion tank.

"NOBLE Six, glad you could make it. You are to head to Mountain Outpost. *** Once there, I will brief you and your team about your next mission. I will remain at Sword Base", he said. Colonel Holland didn't look happy. Six knew the look. It was the look of uneasiness. Just then the two Falcons started their propellers and the Warthog turned on; it was time to leave Sword Base. Six looked at the base one more time before entering the Warthog.

"Are you ready to go Spartan?" The driver asked Six.

"Yeah, let's get out of here", Six responded. He proceeded to take off his helmet. Wearing that helmet couldn't be good for his skin. A nice rushing wind greeted Six as the Warthog drove down a very hilly and rough road to the outpost. NOBLE Six bounced up and down as the Warthog went over the hills. He really enjoyed it. The two Falcons were not far behind. Minutes later, the outpost came into view. Six put his helmet back on. He had to give NOBLE team a good impression. Slowly, the Warthog slowed down, and the Falcons landed. He quickly left the Warthog as the Falcons propellers came into a full stop.

"Contact with Visegrád Relay was lost last night. All signals flat lined at twenty-six hundred hours", Holland said over a COM. It appeared that Holland started the briefing without him.

To the left of Six, a Spartan was reloading what looked a sniper rifle. The Spartan was bald and had a small tattoo. Six walked away, and toward the briefing.

"I responded with trooper fire teams, which have since been declared MIA", Holland continued the briefing.

As Six got closer to the facility, he saw that there was a Spartan already there. The Spartan was standing up, talking into a holographic computer through to Holland. He was wearing blue armour. The room was small and quite dark. Two computers lined the wall. Boxes were scattered about.

"_Let's get in there to see what the fuss is all about_", he thought.

"And now you're sending us", the Spartan said.

"The Office of Naval Intelligence believes deployment of a Spartan team is a gross misallocation of valuable resources. I disagree", Holland exclaimed.

"_Time to meet my new team_", he thought. Six walked into the entrance of the facility. He saw three more Spartans inside. One was sitting down sharpening a knife. He entered the room, but was stopped by another Spartan.

"Commander", a female Spartan cried.

The Spartan with the blue armour and other Spartan with orange armour turned around and looked at Six.

"So that's our new number six", the orange armoured Spartan said.

"Kat, you read his file?" A brown coloured Spartan asked.

"Only the parts that weren't covered in black ink", Kat responded.

The blue armoured Spartan turned back to the computer.

"Anyone claim responsibility sir?" The Spartan asked Holland.

"ONI thinks it may be the local insurrection. Five months ago, they pulled a similar job on Harmony. Hit a relay to take out our eyes and ears, then stole two freighters from dry-dock. That cannot happen here. Reach is too damn important. I want that relay back online, Noble One", Holland ordered.

"Sir, consider it done", the blue armoured Spartan said.

"Then I'll see on the other side. Holland out; Holland said; ending the conversation. He picked up his helmet then turned around and looked at Six. The Spartan had brown hair and blue eyes.

"Lieutenant", the Spartan said standing up straight.

"Commander, sir", Six responded. He was ready for his next task.

"I'm Carter, Noble Team's leader. That's Kat, Noble Two, Emile and Jorge, Four and Five. You're riding with me, Noble Six", Carter said to them. He slowly turned his head toward the other Spartans. The Spartans started to exit the facility to proceed to their next mission.

"I'm not gonna lie to you, Lieutenant. You're stepping into some shoes the rest of the squad would rather leave unfilled."

"_What type of shoes_?" Six thought. The Spartans boarded two Falcons. Six decided to aboard the Falcon with Carter.

"Me, I'm just happy to have Noble back up to full strength. Just one thing. I've seen your file. Even the parts the ONI censors didn't want me to. I'm glad to have your skill set, but we're a team. That lone wolf stuff stays behind. Clear?" Carter asked.

"Got it sir", Six replied. Six sounded confident. With other Spartans, the mission would be a walk in the park.

"Welcome to Reach", Jun said to him. The Falcons began to lift off towards the Visagrad station.

* * *

**Authors Notes:**

**Wow, this chapter was made ****_much_**** longer than I planned. I was planning only 3,000 words! Well, I hope you guys enjoyed it! Next chapter the battle really starts! I am trying to improve my writing. Be patient, it takes time!**

***Yes I know, Assembly Forges was a Covenant weapons facility. They didn't produce or repair carrier or corvette ships, but I needed a name...**

****Don't worry! 'Vadamee will be back in the story later (when his fleet arrives at Reach).**

*****The Outpost at the beginning of REACH didn't seem to have a name so...**

Word Count 3,781


	3. Chapter 2: Discovered

**Author's Notes: Thank you to all of my readers and reviewers! Thanks to you guys, I am (hopefully) becoming a better writer. **

**Once again, if I make any grammar or spelling errors, please tell me.**

**Since we all know the story of the mission ****_Winter Contingency_****, I will skip some of Six's part.**

**Thoughts will be in ****_italics._**

**Disclaimer: The amount of ownership I have of Halo is equivalent to the chance of me winning a gold medal at the London 2012 Olympics. Enjoy, and remember to review!**

* * *

Chapter 2: Discovered

Two Skirmishers and an Unggoy were the only Covenant soldiers defending the captured Visegrad relay. The Sangheili and the other Covenant forces were sleeping. A new morning was beginning, and the crack of dawn was far into the east. As Zealot Nhy 'Kluee woke up, he realized that Ship Master Rho 'Barutamee had deployed Banshees to patrol and additional Phantoms to give ammunition late last night.

"When did the Banshees arrive?" He asked an Unggoy Major.

"Me don't know Excellency, but very late. Also, more humans were detected last night. Sangheili working to eliminate", the Major responded.

'Kluee looked at his surroundings. He saw that many more soldiers had arrived the night before. Ahead of him, there was a large road which led to a farmland. The wind was light, and the sky was getting brighter by the minute. Mist started to evaporate from the trees; it was peaceful. 'Kluee decided to breathe in the fresh air. He knew the humans would send in another squad of soldiers. He decided to take a walk around. Many bird like creatures were eating grass and grubs on the ground. He walked for about a unit, taking a stroll through the forest overlooking the base. However, he knew things were going to change.

"I have detected two human aircraft heading within 500 units of our position, Excellency. They have just landed", a Sangheili Minor said.

"My brothers, it is time. Jam their communications. We will hold our position. Let us make short work of these humans", 'Kluee responded.

The other Sangheili roared in agreement; the battle was just beginning. Just moments later, human and Covenant weapons were heard in the distance.

"We are engaging bad guys now but them not normal bad guys. They powerful and have shielding. We start run aw...", the Unggoy Major finished. The COM went silent with his voice. The voices of humans were now heard on the COMs.

"Major, can you hear me?" 'Kluee asked. He waited a moment. There was no response. If the humans were advancing this fast, it wouldn't be long until they reached the facility. He steeled himself; he could not fail now.

"You, Minor, shoot the computer systems in the relay so that the humans can never gain communications and warn the rest of their army. Shut down the door", 'Kluee commanded.

"Yes, Excellency", he said as he started to head back into Visegrad.

"We are sending in reinforcements. Banshees will assist us. Our team is near a creek just units away from a human patrol", a Sangheili Ultra said.

"Ok", 'Kluee simply said. If they couldn't hold the relay, the humans will know about their mission. Moments later, more gunfire was heard in the distance.

"Warriors, prepare for battle", 'Kluee commanded. Immediately following this, the Sangheili Minor that was ordered to destroy the systems ran back.

"Excellency, the computer systems are now useless to the humans. They cannot get the relay back on-line. I have sealed the main entrance off, however there is a small entrance you can enter if you need too", the Minor cried.

"Great work, Minor. More drop ships are on the way to eliminate the humans. Your next task with the new team arriving is to defend this entrance. I will remain inside to defend the system", 'Kluee said. The entrance to the relay was quite large. Many human vehicles and cargo covered the entrance.

Moments later, the sky showed a human aerial vehicle. The vehicle had two propellers. The words "United Nations Space Command" was written near the cockpit. Inside the vehicle, there were three human soldiers.

"_Were these the 'powerful bad guys' the Unggoy had said_?" The Minor thought. It seemed like a big possibility. Nevertheless, Plasma rifles and Plasma repeaters opened fire. If they were going to kill the super soldiers, the best way would by gravity*. Unfortunately for his team, the pilot of the vehicle dodged most of the rounds. A human sniper opened fire on a pair of Unggoy just units away. Bright blue blood spilled from the pair as they both fell back, dead. The vehicle began to land, and Minor's heart started to speed up. The Minor decided to take cover behind a large crate.

"Boo", one of soldiers cried. The Minor turned around, puzzled. He looked in horror as a soldier with a Human shotgun stood in front of him. The next thing the Minor knew was that he was on the floor, dead.

The Human super soldiers advanced toward the door, but thanks to the Minor's actions, were locked out of the facility. Just moments later, a second human vehicle landed, dropping more super soldiers. Spirits touched down in the courtyard and brought more reinforcements, however, they too were quickly eliminated. All this was being watched by Zealot leader Nhy 'Kluee.

"This is not good my brothers", 'Kluee said to his fellow soldiers. He watched on a human surveillance tape as his reinforcements were quickly eliminated by the super soldiers. Even the leader himself was getting a little worried, but he did not dare tell his team. He had sent the humans a trap. He purposely left two humans alive the floor below him. Once the humans were there, the Zealots would strike. The power in the facility was cut; all they had to do was jump in front of them and strike with their sword. It couldn't be that difficult could it? Just then, the situation got much worse. One of the humans had somehow opened the main gate. 'Kluee started to hear the humans' voices.

"Can't see a thing. Noble Six, turn on your night vision", one of the humans said. 'Kluee heard their footsteps walking down the hallway towards them.

"Control room, go easy", a female human commanded.

"Noble Six, search that body", the female human commanded. Another soldier began to search the body of an old man. Within a blink of an eye the humans walked into the room. The humans had armour with varying colours.

"_How could my team miss that_?" 'Kluee thought. He was interested about what they would do about the "average" human soldier sitting down.

"Where's the rest of your unit?" Another soldier asked.

"We got split. I don't think they... It sounded bad on the comms", the "average" soldier responded.

"All right, Corporal, stay put. We'll get you a combat surgeon", the super soldier replied.

"_Was Corporal a human rank or name?_" 'Kluee thought.

"Damn. Plasma damage!" The human female exclaimed. 'Kluee smiled in satisfaction. Even if they were killed, the humans would never get the relay back online.

"Found something", a human male responded. He held some kind of object. 'Kluee couldn't tell what it was. What he did know however, was that the humans didn't know they were here. The team of Zealots continued to watch, waiting to make their move.

"I'll take that Six, not your domain", she said.

"I've got a live one over here. Come on, out you come", 'Kluee watched as a soldier with orange armour picked up another female. The female started to scream and fight the soldier.

"_Were the humans going to kill their own kind?_" 'Kluee thought. That would be something to watch out for.

"It's all right; we're not going to hurt you", the soldier with the orange armour said.

"Jorge", the blue armoured human cried.

"I've got her", the other super soldier replied. The team of Zealots watched as the human put his heavy weapon on the floor. Now was definitely time to strike. The first Zealot dropped down, and tried to eliminate the orange super soldier.

"What's your status, over?" A human with a shotgun asked.

"We've been engaged!" The human with blue armour responded. Now it was 'Kluee's time to jump. He jumped. He swerved his sword for the female super soldier. He missed. His shields were failing. He didn't have much time. He ran for the door. The human soldiers were too distracted to notice him escape.

"Bad guy coming out!" The blue soldier exclaimed. 'Kluee saw two fellow Sangheili try to take down a super soldier with an energy dagger, but failed. Their shields quickly failed; they took a human shield instead. The human screamed as he was being tugged out the door. The two Zealots ran with the human shield out the other door; they were now separated from 'Kluee.

"That tango blew past me. Permission to pursue?" The human with the shotgun asked.

"Negative Four, stay on the entrance. Two, handle her. Five and Six, clear the hole", the blue soldier commanded. Two of the super soldiers started to move toward the other door. One reloaded his rifle. 'Kluee looked at the hallway in front of him. He needed to get back to his troops if he was to succeed in eliminating the humans. He walked down the dark and gloomy hallway. He came across a series of boxes. He tripped.

"Ow", he cried. At the end of the hallway he saw a large room. The room had large vertical poles continuously moving up and down. Next to the poles, there was a junction box. In the room, a few Unggoy and another Zealot held position. Then, suddenly, he heard a noise.

"_More humans_", he thought. 'Kluee pulled out his energy sword. He ran toward the humans. If the humans have reached the room, his fellow Zealots must have been killed. The door opened, and out came the two human super soldiers. They opened fire. 'Kluee ran toward one of the super soldiers; sword in hand. He was just units away now. Then, without 'Kluee knowing, the human pulled out a shotgun, and immediately shot him. 'Kluee swung his sword, but the human dodged. The human shot him again; he fell to the floor. He heard his comrades being slain as well. As he was dying, he thought about Sanghelios. However, he had served the Covenant; and that was honourable. The last thing he heard was a human voice.

"Noble Five reporting. Contacts neutralized", the orange armoured soldier said.

"Kat needs you to reset a junction. Do it and get back up here", the blue armoured human said over a COM. One of the soldiers pressed a button on a junction, and then the two soldiers left the room.

* * *

Ship Master Rho 'Barutamee looked anxious. He had lost all contact with his forces on the surface near the relay. He had recently sent another team down to the site. He was surprised that the humans had not discovered his ship yet. However, he knew this wouldn't last long. Space was quiet. He couldn't see any human activity anywhere.

"Ship Master, my lance is waiting for your order to invade the human continent", the Sangheili Special Operations Officer said. ** The Sangheili was wearing the purple and red coloured armour. His mandibles were slightly bleeding.

"Your orders are to eliminate any human forces in that area, then start construction of pylons and spires. We cannot let the humans find our forces or this vessel. The objective is to set up a landing zone for our forces. Your task is very important. Do you understand?" 'Barutamee commanded. This mission was a stealth one. If the humans found their position, they would be obliterated.

"I will not fail", the Officer replied simply. He then turned around and left the bridge. Within a half a unit, the Phantoms and Spirits left from a cargo bay.

* * *

NOBLE team ran across a grassy and somewhat rugged field. Jun had just spotted heat signatures there, and maybe, just maybe, this is where the Insurrectionists were hiding. The squad soon reached a large farmhouse. Two human bodies lay lifeless on the wall. Flies and other insects swarmed around the corpses.

"Damn", Carter stated. Six couldn't tell what Carter was feeling under his helmet, but Six knew he was concerned.

"Fill me in, Commander, what are you seeing? Over", Jun responded. The Falcon flew high above the buildings. Jun couldn't see any hostiles. The only movement he saw was NOBLE team and a few Moa. It looked peaceful. The wind generated from the Falcon blew the trees. This peaceful feeling quickly faded however.

NOBLE team kept moving. A sudden flash of red on the motion tracker caught their attention. Just minutes later, gunfire was heard. Banshees flew in the skies above Visegrad. The fields of Visegrad had now turned into a battlefield. They needed to get to the troopers ASAP. Then, right in front of them, was a civilian truck.

"Noble Leader, I'm picking up a distress signal", Jun said. The message started to play on the local COM.

"Mayday! 3 Charlie Six, does anyone read? We were attacked by Covenant forces. The Covenant is on Reach. I repeat: the Covenant is on Reach", the message said. Human and Covenant gunfire was heard on the message.

"No disrespect, but don't we have more important things to do than round up strays?" Jun asked. If the Covenant were on Reach, the first priority was warning command, not to save soldiers, right?

"We don't leave people behind. You see those troopers, you let me know", Carter ordered. The team kept moving; it seemed like the Covenant was everywhere.

"Noble Leader, I'm seeing possible friendly forces under attack south of your position, over!" Jun exclaimed.

"We're under attack, repeat, mayday, mayday, 3 Charlie Six, we're under attack by the Covenant, I've got wounded, cannot hold this position", the soldier cried frantically.

"Noble Three, we've located the trooper squad. Request immediate evac. My coordinates", Carter said while shooting at the left over Covenant forces.

"Solid copy, Commander. Recalling Falcon Charlie 2. Hold that evac position", Jun responded. The Falcon moved closer to the evacuation position. The area was near a small river, next to another building. Three Moa were eating just a few metres away.

"Noble Leader, be advised: I have visual on inbound Covenant drop ships", Jun advised. Six looked up. A Spirit drop ship loaded with troops closed in on their location.

"Evac transport, keep your distance! Six, hold this position. Clear an LZ", Carter ordered. Six quickly complied and began to eliminate all Covenant forces in the area. Within minutes, the forces were eliminated.

"Spartans? Corporal Travis, 3 Charlie, sir. It's the Covenant...", Travis stated. He was terrified. If the Covenant had found Reach, humanity would be doomed.

"We know, Corporal. Let's get you out of here", Carter replied. Carter turned around as a concussion rifle was fired at him. The one Elite Six had missed was quickly eliminated.

"Transport, LZ is clear. Move in for evac", Carter ordered.

"Affirmative. Transport inbound", Jun responded. Within a few seconds, a Falcon swooped past the trees and landed on the road near the creek. The soldiers got into the Falcon, and it took off. As they flew, there was more evidence that the Covenant had done some major damage. A major bridge had been taken out, and smoke was seen from many buildings.

"_I wonder if the Covenant had landed elsewhere on the planet_", Carter thought. The Falcon approached the relay's courtyard. Covenant forces were already there. Kat was trying to open a door, while Emile shot at the Covenant forces.

After eliminating the Covenant forces in the courtyard, Kat finally got the door opened. NOBLE team moved inside; it was dark.

"We need to find the control room. From there, Kat can get the relay back online. Emile, post here. If we flush any hostiles, they're yours. All right, let's do this", Carter exclaimed. NOBLE team kept moving down the hallway, and it got darker and darker.

"Can't see a thing. Noble Six, turn on your night vision", Kat stated.

"Control room, go easy", Catherine commanded.

"Noble Six, search that body", Kat commanded. Six began to search the body of an old man. The man was in his mid sixties and had blood surrounding him. Below the man was a small data module.

"Where's the rest of your unit?" Carter asked.

"We got split. I don't think they... It sounded bad on the comms", the trooper responded.

"All right, Corporal, stay put. We'll get you a combat surgeon", Carter replied.

"Damn. Plasma damage!" Kat exclaimed. If she couldn't get the relay up and running, they couldn't warn Holland.

"Found something", Six responded.

"I'll take that Six, not your domain", Kat stated as she snatched the module out of Six's hand.

"I've got a live one over here. Come on, out you come", Jorge said as he pulled out a young civilian. She started to scream and yell in Hungarian.

"It's all right; we're not going to hurt you", Jorge said.

"Jorge", Carter cried.

"I've got her", the Jorge replied. Jorge put his weapon down to quickly get the civilian under control. Suddenly, out of nowhere, two Zealots jumped down in front of them.

"What's your status, over?" Emile asked.

"We've been engaged!" Carter responded. Six watched as an Elite swerved his sword, trying to hit Kat. Thankfully, Carter pushed her out of the way. The rest of NOBLE team engaged the Elite. Six could tell that the Elite's shield was failing. The Elite made a run for it, heading toward the door.

"Bad guy coming out!" Carter exclaimed. Six was pushed to the ground. An Elite then pulled out an energy dagger. Six punched him in the face. Carter and Kat quickly forced the Elite off of Six. Instead of trying to kill Six, the Elites took the trooper instead. He screamed as he was being tugged out the door. The two Zealots ran with the human shield out the other door.

"That tango blew past me. Permission to pursue?" Emile asked.

"Negative Four, stay on the entrance. Two, handle her. Five and Six, clear the hole", Carter commanded. NOBLE Five and NOBLE Six moved toward the door. Six reloaded his rifle. As they exited, Jorge closed the door behind them. Once again, the hallway was dark. Crates lined the large hallway. A small arsenal of weapons lined the wall. A fork lift was in the centre, not being used. Jorge threw a flare out toward a pile of crates. A Zealot came out with a concussion rifle. He fled, but some grunts and Jackals entered. Within a few seconds they were killed.

"There's more. Flush 'em out, I've got you covered", Jorge commanded as they entered a large room. NOBLE Six looked around. There was a shotgun on the ground. He picked it up. In a small corridor like this, it would be quite effective. He went upstairs, paying attention to his motion tracker. Again, out of nowhere, an Elite appeared. The Elite charged toward Six; this was the reason he had a shotgun. *** With a few shots, the Elite fell toward the floor.

"Noble Five reporting. Contacts neutralized", Five radioed. NOBLE Six looked down at the Elite. He found an energy sword.

"_Sweet_", Six thought as he picked it up and activated it.

"Kat needs you to reset a junction. Do it and get back up here", Carter commanded. Within a few minutes, Five and Six were back in the control centre.

"How long?" Carter asked. They had just been successful with turning on some lights, but Kat still couldn't get the relay back up.

"Question of my life. If the question is when will this station be back online, two weeks, earliest. This is plasma damage. All major uplink components are fried", Kat responded as she fiddled with the cables.

"Two minutes is too long", Carter stated.

"Which is why I'm splicing into the main overland bundle to get you a direct line to Colonel Holland... you're in my light, Commander", Kat said while looking at Carter. Carter turned around. He was quite concerned, angry and disappointed.

"Find out what she knows", Carter ordered pointing to the civilian and Jorge.

**"**What's your name? Do you live around here?" Jorge asked. He realized she didn't want to talk to him. He took off his helmet.

**"**A nevem Jorge", Jorge stated.

"Sára", the civilian replied.

"Sára...szép határozott név. Your accent sounds familiar. Sopron?" Jorge asked her again. The civilian was slightly tanned coloured and had black hair and grey eyes.

"Tengeri", Sára replied. She didn't want to talk. She was severely saddened by the loss of her father.

"Friend of yours?" Jorge asked. He was full of questions. He needed to know what happened to the facility.

"Father", she replied.

"Sajnálom. I'm sorry", Jorge said. He never likes the look of sadness and despair on people's faces, but they were in a war. People were going to die; that was how it is and always was.

"Why would you be?" She asked him rhetorically.

"Big man forgets what he is sometimes", Emile snapped, being completely oblivious to the fact of their discussion.

"She just lost her father. She needs a full psychiatric workup", Jorge stated.

"She's not the only one", Emile snapped.

"Lock it down, both of you! Get her on her feet... the body stays here", Carter exclaimed, successfully bringing the near-fight to an end. Jorge quickly obeyed and pulled the civilian to her feet politely.

"Thank you, sir", Jorge said.

"Signal. It's patchy, but it's there", Kat exclaimed.

"I'll take it", Carter replied. This wasn't the time for chit-chat. No one in the room even whispered.

"Best not touch anything. You wouldn't want to ground this place", Kat advised. NOBLE team, well except for Carter left the room.

"I'm barely getting you. What's your situation, over?" Holland asked.

"Colonel, this is Noble One. There are no rebels. The Covenant are on Reach. Acknowledge?" Carter asked. He needed to make sure Holland heard correctly of the terrible and shocking news.

"Come again, Noble One? Did you say _Covenant_?" Holland asked.

"Affirmative. It's the Winter Contingency", Carter replied. He wished what he was saying was just a bad dream, some terrible dream that would just end.

"May God help us all. NOBLE team, I will send you an evac, and you will report to CASTLE base", Holland replied.

"Copy Colonel, good luck, Carter out", Carter said as he closed the COM. NOBLE team re-entered the room, and Carter quickly told them of the plan. The Falcon came quickly and left with the civilian on-route to CASTLE base.

"The Covenant will land on other parts of the planet", Jun said.

"They already have", Carter replied as the Falcon approached CASTLE base.

* * *

Author's Notes:

Yes, 'Kluee is a made up name. However Rho 'Barutamee (the Ship Master of _Long Night of Solace_) is not. Wellllllll, do I have too much dialogue? I will probably do less later, (it takes a long time, and it is less enjoyable). Thanks for reading, make sure to **_REVIEW_**!

*Seriously, Master Chief fell two kilometres when he arrived on Earth, yet when someone falls off a small cliff in Reach, you die instantly?

** Just for you guys who don't know, a lance is the Covenant equivalent to a UNSC squad.

*** On legendary, that was the only way I killed the Elite! Seriously, he would hit you once with the energy sword and you would get killed!

Word Count: 3,952


	4. Chapter 3: Failure

**Author's Notes: **

**As I said before, I will be shortening the part on dialogue. I will mostly focus the story on the Covenant side (hence the title). Thank you to all my reviewers! **

**Thoughts will be in ****_italics._**

**Disclaimer: What? Me owning Halo?! Well, only in my dreams. All ownership goes to Bungie, Microsoft and 343 Industries.**

* * *

Chapter 3: Invasion

Ship Master Rho 'Barutamee watched as his Phantoms and Spirits slowly descended towards the planet. It had now been three cycles since they first arrived. A map of Reach was being shown on the pedestal in front of him. The pedestal showed a large yellow arrow to where the drop ships were required to go. 'Barutamee waited. He leaned on a ledge on the bridge, being careful not to press any buttons. Just then, a COM opened up; 'Barutamee jumped at the sudden noise.

"Ship Master, the humans have taken back the relay. These humans were not the normal ones. They had shielding and armour. They also had vehicle support. I am the only one left", a Sangheili Minor said on the COM.

"Have the humans been able to contact their leaders and their fleet?" 'Barutamee asked. He was not pleased, not at all. How could humans have shielding? This must be some sort of nonsense.

"Excellency, I do not know, but the humans were able to access the control centre. If we are to take back the relay, we will need to send more experienced troops", the Minor stated.

"That doesn't matter. If the humans were able to access the control room, they have probably got the relay back on-line. Do have any good things to tell me, Minor?" 'Barutamee asked. He hoped there would be some success in the mission.

"Well, our team has found a human base near the north pole. I will send you the location. The humans call it _Sword Base_, Excellency", the Minor said proudly.

"Your team has found a human base? That is a very good find, Minor. I think that will be our next move. Good luck Minor, may your journey be great", the Ship Master stated as the COM closed. 'Barutamee slammed his fist on the desk. His mission had been a failure. The humans had found them. The prophets would have his head. Now it was a race to disable and cripple the humans defences before they could send reinforcements. On the other hand, they had found a base. 'Barutamee decided that he would send one corvette to this base and deploy troops. The troops would eliminate the humans in the base and retrieve information about the human's home world, weapons research, and other important information.

"Ship Master, our team has landed on the planet. We have eliminated some humans; however, it will take many cycles to build a spire. We are jamming the humans' communications", a Sangheili Zealot said on the COM. The Zealot was standing on a sandy surface with patches of grass and weeds. Behind the Zealot, there was a burning human vehicle, and multiple cloaked Phantoms constructing a pylon.

"Good job, keep the humans at bay. We will take their planet before they even know it!" 'Barutamee exclaimed. The roar of Sangheili throughout the bridge and on the ground was massive. The COM than closed, once again keeping the bridge of _Long night of Solace _quiet once again. 'Barutamee looked at the pedestal. He entered the location that the Sangheili Minor had given him. 'Barutamee thought about it. He only had five Corvettes plus his cruiser in his recon fleet.

"Send _Journey's Watch _to this location", 'Barutamee ordered. *

"Yes Excellency. The ship will be above the human base in two units", a Jiralhanae Major declared.

Within moments, the Corvette began to move towards the human base. When it got there it would wreak havoc on the base and the surrounding area. 'Barutamee knew he couldn't fail.

* * *

Ship Master Kmr 'Repree kept pacing as the _Journey's Watch_ kept its heading towards the base. He started to grow impatient. He wanted to start the assault right away.

"How much longer until we reach the human base?" He asked an Unggoy Major.

"It will be another half a unit Excellency", the Major responded.

'Repree looked at the bridge. It was battle ready. Weapon crates lay in the room, carrying Energy Swords and Plasma repeaters. Finally, after what seemed like forever, the ship reached the human base.

"Send Phantoms with vehicles and ground troops. We must take this base", 'Repree commanded.

"Of course, Excellency", a Major Domo Sangheili responded. A moment later Phantoms began to leave from the Corvette. It wasn't long before human fighters started to engage the Phantoms. 'Repree clicked his mandibles.

"Ship Master, the humans have anti-air guns near the base. They have already taken down one Phantom", the Major declared.

"Tell the pilots of the remaining Phantoms to eliminate that base first and set up a landing pad for additional troops", 'Repree ordered.

"Yes, Ship Master", the Major responded. He soon told the pilots of the new orders.

Half a unit passed. Even from the bridge of the Corvette, the sound of big explosions; both human and Covenant was heard. The Corvette itself was in good shape. Its health and shield sensors were at maximum.

"Ship Master, our team has landed and disabled the anti-air system", the Major said.

"That is great news my brothers!" 'Repree exclaimed. Now that the team was on the ground, the rest of the mission would be a piece of cake.

"Ship Master, I have detected a human COM array just units way from the base. I think we should take it out. After that, we can enter the base", the Major said.

"Good searching my brother. Tell them to take out the COM. I will send vehicle support in about one quarter unit", 'Repree said. If they could take out the COM, this would benefit them very much. Once again though, the bridge was quiet except for big explosions. 'Repree's troops worked away, looking at the ships systems and shield levels. 'Repree looked out the window. He saw the planet's moon. His thoughts were interrupted once again, however.

"Ship Master, my team is ready. We have one Revenant and one Ghost attached to our Phantom. My team of Sangheili, Kig-yar, and Unggoy are ready. An additional Phantom has two more Revenants", a pilot said.

"If all your troops and vehicles are ready to go, you are clear to go my brother. Good luck", 'Repree replied.

"Thank you Ship Master", the pilot replied. Within moments, the Phantoms left the shuttle bay for the surface. It would not take long to get there.

Within moments, the Revenants and Ghosts were on the ground. The troops mounted up and headed for the COM relay.

"Ship Master, human drop ships are imminent. They have a troops and a human light vehicle", the Major announced.

"Do not worry brother, our forces will crush them", 'Repree reassured.

"Ship Master, we have the relay in sight. Humans have landed. Our vehicles are taking care of them", a Sangheili Minor announced. The sounds of explosions were around him.

The bridge of _Journey's Watch_ was once again quiet, well except for loud explosions on the ground. It was quite boring. 'Repree almost wished he had joined the battle, at least he would have something to do.

"Ship Master we have taken the COM. The humans have retreated to the base. We have disabled the COM and are now heading for the base. Our forces near the anti-air gun will assist us in trapping the humans", a Sangheili Ranger said.

"Great job my brothers. Push on toward the base!" 'Repree exclaimed proudly.

Even under fire from human anti-air and fighters, his Corvette was in excellent shape. Shields were still at or near maximum. He would be pleased to inform the fleet master that his ship wouldn't need repairs.

A half a unit passed without word from the troops.

"Send more vehicles and additional weapons for our ground troops", 'Repree commanded.

"Of course, Excellency", the Major responded. He immediately contacted shuttle bay 16 to launch Phantoms. Once again, within a few moments, the Phantoms left the shuttle bay. 'Repree hoped they wouldn't get shot down; he needed as many Phantoms as possible.

"Ship Master, we have taken the entrance to the base, however many of our brothers have fallen. The humans' defences are quite high here. We need additional troops", the Sangheili Ranger said.

"I have already sent additional troops and vehicles to you brother, do not fear", 'Repree announced.

"I will go for a walk. If anything comes up, contact me", 'Repree announced to the Major.

"Yes, Ship Master", the Major responded. 'Repree turned around towards the door. Two Jiralhanae Minors guarded it. 'Repree exited the bridge only to find a hallway of troops and other personnel scrambling about. Even though the battle was ground side, the ship was busy. The hallway was purple and had many lights and small terminals. Directions to different locations on the ship were also present. An Unggoy Minor ran through the hallway, and briefly bumped into 'Repree.

"Sorry Excellency", the Minor said before continuing going his way.

'Repree sighed. Unggoy were sometimes very clumsy. He walked back toward the bridge, taking his time. He walked past a shuttle bay, which had two Phantoms docked. The shuttle bay was large. A massive shield door covered the exit. Troops walked around, waiting for their turn on the battlefield. 'Repree turned around and headed for the bridge. Along the way, he saw hallway after hallway of troops followed by shuttle bays and more hallways. It was tiring. He finally arrived at the bridge. A moment passed then:

"Ship Master, our troops have taken the outside of the base and are now entering the interior. They say we should send in a Seraph team to start taking out targets on and near the base", the Major said.

"Agreed, however there could be intel on the humans' home world in that base. I will send a team to fire on the base. I want your team to collect any intel you can find on the humans and send it here", 'Repree ordered.

"Yes Excellency", the Sangheili Ranger said as gunfire erupted.

"General, send your Seraph team to bombard the facility. It is NOT to be destroyed!" 'Repree announced.

"Yes Ship Master", the General announced.

Moments later, a small amount of Seraph ships began to shoot and take out targets near and on the human base. It wouldn't be long before they could emerge victorious. Seraph fighters shot at the base and other targets. Within minutes, the Seraphs returned to _Journey's Watch_.

'Repree looked out the window of the Corvette. The Seraphs shot the base enough for parts of it to be destroyed. A fire burned on the top deck.

"Our team has taken the facility. The humans were no match for them", the Major said.

"Tell the team to look for any human intelligence. Bring anything straight to me", 'Repree ordered.

"Of course, Ship Master", the Major responded.

The bridge became quiet again, well only for a few moments.

"Ship Master, I am detecting multiple waves of human reinforcements", a Sangheili Minor announced.

"Get our troops ready", the Ship Master responded briskly. The Minor quickly obeyed as the Ship Master went for his break.

Within a unit or so later the battlefield looked different when 'Repree looked out the bridge window once again. He had apparently fallen asleep. That was quite embarrassing. In battle, leaders could not simply fall asleep right?

"Ship Master, while you were gone, the human reinforcements landed. Our team has engaged them; however they seem to be some sort of super human. Our team says that they have shielding, are super fast and strong. I think its nonsense", the Minor said, looking concerned.

"That's impossible. Humans have never had shielding before. Tell our team to keep pushing towards anything that is important", 'Repree replied.

"Ship Master, I cannot get any of our troops to respond to our communications", the Minor announced.

"Send in banshee fighters to eliminate the humans. Humans cannot survive a fuel rod cannon from a banshee, shields or not", 'Repree ordered.

Within moments, banshee fighters assaulted the base and the surrounding area. They fired on the human troops below and made quick work of any anti-air guns on the base.

Banshee swooped around attempts to shoot them down. Many of the human aircraft were shot down in their attempt to survive. Within a few moments however, the skies belonged to the Covenant!

"Contact our team again. If they cannot find anything useful, bring them back to _Journey's Watch_", 'Repree said.

The Minor repeatedly tried to contact their troops but to no avail.

"I can't contact our troops Ship Master. They may have been killed by the humans", the Minor said.

"Open fire on the base then. If our troops are dead, there is no point of sitting here doing nothing", 'Repree commanded. He looked at the weapon systems: they all were pointing in the green.

Plasma torpedoes shot from the Corvette almost immediately. Soon the base will be destroyed, and they could go home. 'Repree looked out the window of the Corvette once again. Many of his banshees were being shot down.

"Excellency, we have lost our banshees and left over reinforcements. Human anti-air is now engaging us. Human fast aircraft are approaching. They are trying to lock our coordinates", the Minor said worryingly.

"All forces retreat. Get _Journey's Watch_ to a safe location", 'Repree ordered, worry heavy in his voice.

Immediately, the ship began to move almost at maximum speed. It started to gain altitude. 'Repree fell back on the floor because of the speed and pitch of the Corvette. They were almost out; soon they would return to a safe location.

Suddenly, there was a massive shake. The sound of broken metal and electrical equipment surrounded the crew. The Corvette's engines started to fail and they lost altitude.

"Our journey is guaranteed my brothers. Even in death we walk the path", 'Repree announced on the ships communications system. The last thing the bridge crew saw was the ice cold water of Reach.

* * *

NOBLE Six looked up at the sky. Banshee parts and dead pilots fell from the sky. He looked at the rocket launcher; it was empty. It had been a successful day for him. He had defended sword base from a Covenant attack. Six watched as the MAC gun penetrated the Corvette from above, crippling the ship and causing it to crash.

"Beautiful, isn't it? Someone should take a picture", Jorge said. Clearly, they both have had a good day.

"Nice work by the way", he added.

"I aim to please", Six responded. They watched as the Corvette began to sink in the cold waters away from the base.

"Five, Six get down to the science wing. Dr. Halsey wants a debrief and command says we're all hers", Carter said on the COM.

"Repeat? Sounded like you said Halsey?" Jorge asked with a mysterious look on his face.

"I did", Carter responded.

"Copy that on our way. Don't need command to tell me. Been all hers for half my life", Jorge said as the three Spartans started to make their way toward the science wing.

On their way to the science wing, the Spartans found a damaged base filled with bodies, weapons and debris. The science wing however, was locked. A guard quickly opened the door for the Spartans to enter.

"I requested your assistance, Commander, and do not need a report on events that occur on my own doorstep. What I do require is a detailed account of your previous engagement..." Halsey said as the Spartans walked in.

"Jorge, it's been too long", Halsey said looking at Jorge's armour.

"Ma'am", Jorge responded.

"What have you done with my armour?" She asked.

"Just a few... additions I've made", Jorge responded, looking at his orange armour.

"Indeed. Visegrad relay. Its data centre was home to one of my xenoarchaeologists, Professor Laszlo Sorvad. Perhaps you can shed some light on his death", Halsey demanded looking at Carter.

"If he was a civilian male in his mid sixties he died with a Covenant energy sword through his abdomen", Carter announced.

"Elites then?" Halsey asked.

"They engaged us as well. It was just, uh, just after we found your scientist's daughter, ma'am. She was hiding in the-", Jorge said as he was cut off.

"Irreverent. The Elites, tell me more about them", Halsey asked, still demanding answers.

"Three. Zealot class. One got by us. The leader, from the looks of him", Jorge stated.

"Zealots. You're certain", Halsey said with a raised voice.

"Their armour configuration matched", Jorge stated.

"Shield strength too", Six added.

"I gave the order not to pursue. Our primary objective was to get the station's relay back online", Carter said.

"Your primary objective? Commander are you a puppet or a Spartan?" Halsey asked. She didn't look pleased about Carter's decision.

"Ma'am", Carter stated looking surprised at the outburst.

"There are those at ONI, myself included, who believe the Covenant dispatch Elite advance teams to hunt down artifacts of value to their religion. Survivor accounts suggest such teams are small, nimble, and almost always Zealot class. No doubt they came to the station for the abundance of ONI excavation data stored there. And you let them get away", Halsey lectured.

"Data retrieval was not a command directive. Even had we known we had other, more urgent matters to attend to", Carter said.

"Like warning the planet", Kat said.

"Professor Sorvad's final entry in his field notes made reference to a latchkey discovery. Latchkey... Not a word he would use lightly. So let's hope that the data module your Lieutenant Commander stole contains it", Halsey continued to lecture the Spartans about their failure.

"Kat?" Carter asked, very surprised that his fellow Spartan would do something of that nature.

"Before you ask, I was alerted the moment you attempted to access its contents. As I am with any unauthorized tap", Halsey lectured.

Kat immediately dropped the module in the box.

"That data is classified tier one. I could send you to the brig for interfering with my work", Halsey continued.

"Maybe you would like to join her?" Carter challenged.

"I'm sorry?" Halsey sneered.

"We're currently under emergency planetary directive Winter Contingency. I'm sure you're familiar with the punishment for civilian interference with a Spartan deployment", Carter stated, looking at Halsey.

"Are you threatening me, Commander?" Halsey asked.

"Just making a reading suggestion, ma'am", Carter replied.

"Let's move NOBLE team", Carter said as he and Kat started to leave the room.

"Ma'am"? Jorge asked.

"That will be all Jorge", Halsey replied, now starring at the module.

The rest of NOBLE team left the room and quickly met up with Carter and Kat. The Spartans walked through and eventually exited the base while talking about their experience with Dr. Halsey.

"She really knows how to lecture us, doesn't she?" Kat asked.

"The module is very important to her. I wouldn't be pleased if one of you left say... my tacpad behind right? Carter asked.

"You're right sir. However, it's gone now. So let's stop thinking about it", Emile finished.

"Our Falcon is waiting outside. It will take us to CASTLE base. Colonel Holland will give us our next orders", Carter said.

NOBLE team walked outside the base. It was late afternoon. Fires burned near the base as a Falcon waited for the team on the tarmac. Soon, the team was on the way to CASTLE base to get their next orders.

* * *

Authors Notes:

*_Journey's Watch_ is a made up name. I just wanted to point that out.

Thanks for reading! Please, review! It helps more than you think!

Word Count: 3,307


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